PM URGES 'CLEAR MESSAGE' TO RUSSIA

David Cameron has urged fellow EU leaders to send Russia a "very clear message" over Ukraine by extending sanctions.

The Prime Minister said a summit in Brussels this evening should set out "clear actions" to show Vladimir Putin the situation would not be tolerated.

Arriving at the European Council meeting, Mr Cameron said: "There are important discussions here today, perhaps the most important is that the situation in Ukraine is unacceptable. The territorial integrity of that country is not being properly respected by Russia.

"We can send a very clear message with clear actions at this council meeting tonight."

The EU has already introduced travel bans and asset freezes targeted at individual members of the Russian president's inner circle after the Ukrainian region of Crimea was annexed.

The union is preparing wider sectoral sanctions to be implemented if Moscow fails to ratchet down the stand-off with its neighbour.

Mr Cameron's official spokesman told a regular Westminster media briefing earlier: "The EU has been working now for some time on a list of further possible measures. The Prime Minister is pretty clear that there is a good case for going further in terms of targeted sanctions."

European Council president Herman van Rompuy has put Ukraine on the agenda at the Brussels' summit, and the PM's spokesman said Britain was expecting "a real and substantive discussion" on possible future actions.

"The British Government will be arguing the case that the current conditions now justify further sanctions. That is a point we will be making this evening and we will see if we reach agreement on that."